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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: charge · dip · season · bat · mate · current · temple · wound

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — a price
  10. mate — a friend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — of the year
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — in sport
  21. dip — to sink
  22. charge — electricity
  23. current — of water
  24. season — to add flavour

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