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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
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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: wound · temple · pitcher · stem · date · charge · jam · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. charge — electricity
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stem — of a plant

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