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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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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 · bear · safe · roll · fork · tear · temple · dip

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. charge — in control
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — in a road
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — a price
  16. tear — from crying
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tear — to rip
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — to sink

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