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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rush · chest · foot · game · temple · charge · stem · kid

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — a price
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. game — a match
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. game — wild animals
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chest — a box
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rush — hurry

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