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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · spell · temple · mine · cell · tube · net · root

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. root — the cause
  3. charge — electricity
  4. root — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a word
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — after costs
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — a phone

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