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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: drill · chest · lie · temple · charge · branch · cabinet · fall

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — army training
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. charge — in control
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chest — of your body
  11. branch — a division
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — the season
  18. chest — a box
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — electricity
  22. drill — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. charge — a price

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