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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: shower · kick · leaves · court · temple · mug · chip · charge

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. charge — electricity
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — in control
  13. mug — a cup
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mug — to rob
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. shower — rain
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — to eat
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mug — a face

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