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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · mine · fine · cue · cell · key · hide · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. charge — a price
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. key — the most important part
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. key — for a lock
  16. charge — in control
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cue — for pool
  21. key — in music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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