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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 · charge · date · stick · wind · chest · pit · mate

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chest — of your body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — a price
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chest — a box
  21. date — the fruit
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chest — of your body

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