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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: craft · race · band · fall · charge · cabinet · field · temple

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — for sport
  4. race — a contest
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — electricity
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a music group
  15. fall — the season
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a ring

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