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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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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 · deal · key · race · temple · wound · charge · wax

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. race — humankind
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. craft — a skill
  7. deal — to handle
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — a contest
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — in music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. race — the arms race
  22. charge — in control
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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