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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stick · mug · drill · temple · charge · mine · tube · chest

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chest — of your body
  9. drill — army training
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. drill — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mug — a cup
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chest — a box
  23. tube — the underground
  24. charge — a price

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