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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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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 · toast · face · charge · chip · can · club · cold

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — in control
  4. face — to confront
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. club — for dancing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for golf
  10. chip — to eat
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. can — to be able to
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chip — for betting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — a group
  23. charge — electricity
  24. face — to point toward

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