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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: chair · shower · wake · temple · charge · club · file · march

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. file — a line of people
  3. charge — in control
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. club — for dancing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. club — a group
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — a trail
  14. charge — electricity
  15. march — the month
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — a price
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. shower — to wash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. march — music

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