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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: last · charge · wake · shower · temple · snap · mark · racket

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to click
  11. mark — a trace
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. last — to go on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — rain
  17. last — finally
  18. charge — electricity
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. last — final
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mark — a grade
  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