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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: craft · temple · lash · band · ruler · charge · rock · field

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. field — for sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — a subject
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. craft — boats
  18. rock — a stone
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — a skill
  21. band — a ring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. band — a music group
  24. temple — a place of worship

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