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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 120 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: rest · charge · arm · ground · straw · staff · temple · patient

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ground — crushed
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — a position
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — a break
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — a straw man

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