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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: shower · staff · fall · charge · arm · file · dip · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. staff — a stick
  4. file — a line of people
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — a price
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — the season
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. charge — electricity
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — in control
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fall — to drop

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