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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.

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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: ball · mate · temple · fork · band · hand · charge · kick

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. band — a music group
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hand — help
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ball — a great time
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. charge — in control
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. band — a ring
  24. kick — in football

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