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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: file · root · fall · bat · cell · charge · temple · leaves

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. file — a tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. file — a line of people
  13. root — of a word
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — a price
  21. bat — the animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bat — in an idiom

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