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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
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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 · mouse · saw · cold · mine · temple · pop · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. charge — electricity
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pop — soda
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cold — an illness
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cold — not warm

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