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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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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: charge · squash · temple · row · snap · tube · cap · stand

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cap — a lid
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cap — a hat
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — the sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. row — a line
  18. snap — to click
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. row — to paddle
  22. charge — a price
  23. stand — to bear
  24. temple — a place of worship

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