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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: vault · straw · charge · temple · mate · bass · cue · track

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — a price
  6. track — a song
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — a safe
  9. charge — in control
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. track — a path
  18. bass — the fish
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — dry grass
  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