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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: capital · charge · face · mug · temple · mate · prune · snap

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. prune — to trim
  5. capital — a city
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a face
  9. face — to point toward
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — to breed
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a partner
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. mate — a friend
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — to rob
  24. charge — a price

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