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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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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: ground · hand · toast · charge · key · bay · tear · temple

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. key — the most important part
  3. hand — in cards
  4. charge — a price
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hand — help
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — in music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ground — crushed
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ground — a position
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. charge — in control
  24. temple — side of the head

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