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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: key · temple · object · clip · charge · can · wake · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — a price
  6. clip — a video
  7. object — to protest
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. key — the most important part
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rash — a series
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — in music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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