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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 120 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: temple · fall · wake · root · charge · mug · dip · pop

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — a face
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — to rob
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — the season
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — the cause
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — of a plant
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pop — music

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