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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: charge · pop · pit · cell · chair · temple · stick · lie

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. pit — in a race
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pop — soda
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. charge — a price

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