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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
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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: fork · hand · charge · last · bass · temple · toast · bore

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. last — final
  4. toast — bread
  5. bass — the fish
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. charge — in control
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — finally
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — low music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. last — to go on
  24. bore — to drill

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