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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
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: straw · temple · bore · charge · wake · scale · cap · game

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — a price
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wake — a trail
  20. game — a match
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — to drill
  24. charge — in control

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