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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: dip · charge · fall · fork · pop · mug · temple · rest

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — in control
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — a price
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mug — a face
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — soda
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mug — a cup
  24. dip — to sink

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