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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: stick · charge · mug · fork · temple · dip · rest · cue

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cue — for pool
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — in a road
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — a price
  17. mug — to rob
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fork — a garden tool

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