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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: field · spell · temple · pound · charge · kick · present · fall

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fall — to drop
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. field — for sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kick — in football
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. field — farmland
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fall — the season
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spell — letters
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. charge — electricity

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