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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: bat · temple · rash · firm · can · craft · charge · cold

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cold — not warm
  7. charge — electricity
  8. can — to be able to
  9. firm — steady
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. craft — boats
  12. cold — an illness
  13. craft — a skill
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — the animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. can — a tin
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. firm — a company
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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