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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: wake · content · tube · mine · mark · temple · fan · charge

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a grade
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — a price
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tube — a container
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — a trail
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. charge — in control
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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