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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.

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: hand · mine · staff · charge · stick · temple · lean · shower

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. staff — a stick
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mine — for digging
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. shower — to wash
  15. staff — employees
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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