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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: racket · temple · snap · file · pit · wax · mouse · charge

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. pit — a hole

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