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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: temple · kick · kid · season · charge · coach · date · track

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — a price
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — in control
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — child
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. charge — electricity
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kid — to tease
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. date — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — a path
  24. kick — with a leg

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