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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: mouse · trunk · charge · temple · tear · club · pop · present

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. present — a gift
  7. charge — in control
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pop — music
  10. present — the time now
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — a price
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pop — soda
  19. charge — electricity
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. present — there
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — a group

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