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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 · toast · temple · bulb · degree · row · band · cap

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. charge — in control
  4. band — a music group
  5. degree — from a university
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cap — of ice
  11. toast — bread
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — a price
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. row — a line
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — temperature
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cap — a lid
  22. band — a ring
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bulb — for light

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