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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: temple · ball · branch · mine · bore · rash · charge · date

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — a series
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mine — for digging
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — in control
  13. branch — a division
  14. charge — a price
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ball — a dance
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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