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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: fall · craft · charge · snap · swing · row · temple · saw

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. fall — the season
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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