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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.

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: bat · charge · tear · mouse · rush · game · temple · toast

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. toast — bread
  8. charge — in control
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. game — a match
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. tear — to rip
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  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