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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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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: cold · hand · club · branch · temple · charge · fan · craft

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — boats
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. hand — help
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. charge — electricity
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. branch — a division
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — a price
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cold — an illness
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. temple — side of the head

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