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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.

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: cold · hide · fan · pass · charge · temple · lean · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. charge — a price
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cold — not warm
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. charge — in control

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