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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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468
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 · mark · club · charge · mate · object · band

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mate — a friend
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — to breed
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. club — for golf
  12. band — a ring
  13. club — for dancing
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — in control
  16. object — an aim
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — to protest
  19. club — a group
  20. mate — a partner
  21. band — a music group
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. object — a thing
  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