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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · cap · current · charge · race · field · leaves · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. race — humankind
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — a contest
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. current — electric
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — a price
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. field — for sport
  22. cap — of ice
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — a lid

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