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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: temple · bank · track · cold · ball · charge · can · rush

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a great time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. charge — in control
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bank — for money
  14. cold — not warm
  15. track — a song
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — a price
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rush — hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bank — of a river
  24. can — to be able to

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