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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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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: kid · deal · stick · trunk · temple · charge · cue · club

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — to tease
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. club — for golf
  16. charge — a price
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kid — child
  19. cue — for pool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — a group
  24. temple — side of the head

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