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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: charge · rash · craft · temple · race · toast · rush · kid

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. race — the arms race
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. race — humankind
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — a contest
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. craft — boats
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — child
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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