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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: kick · lean · snap · mouse · temple · charge · bear · spell

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to click
  4. lean — thin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — a price
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — for a computer

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