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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: mark · rock · ground · rest · mate · temple · charge · branch

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ground — a position
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — a price
  8. rock — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — a division
  24. mate — a friend

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