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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: band · charge · temple · fan · tear · ball · saw · kid

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. kid — child
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tear — to rip
  17. charge — electricity
  18. band — a ring
  19. ball — a dance
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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