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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: temple · face · bank · cell · date · charge · cue · root

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — to confront
  3. charge — electricity
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. root — of a word
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — the cause
  9. cell — a phone
  10. charge — a price
  11. bank — for money
  12. cell — in biology
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cue — for pool
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a hint
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. face — to point toward

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