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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · temple · mine · season · mug · straw · lash · cap

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. charge — in control
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mug — a cup
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mug — to rob
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a face
  21. charge — a price
  22. season — in sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. charge — electricity

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