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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.

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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: chip · cue · tear · lash · charge · temple · cell · mine

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — a price
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — electricity
  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