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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 · craft · nail · temple · tube · foot · saw · cabinet

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. charge — a price
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — a measure
  12. charge — in control
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. craft — a skill
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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