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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.

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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 · season · bore · chip · tear · wave · charge · deal

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — in sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — a price
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. season — of the year
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. deal — to handle
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tear — to rip
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. deal — a big deal

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