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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 120 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: capital · rush · track · charge · rock · temple · root · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — a city
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — the cause
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. capital — money
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — in football
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. charge — in control
  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