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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: mine · file · charge · temple · present · deal · hand · mug

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a document
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. present — there
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — a face
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — electricity
  15. present — the time now
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. present — a gift
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — help
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. file — a tool

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