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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: charge · bat · bound · cue · band · temple · cap · fall

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fall — the season
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — certain
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cue — a signal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cap — of ice
  17. charge — a price
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. band — a music group
  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