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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · pass · rest · season · foot · mark · snap · charge

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. season — of the year
  5. foot — a measure
  6. season — in sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. charge — a price
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — in control
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — electricity
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com