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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 120 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: temple · fall · row · sharp · content · key · file · charge

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. charge — electricity
  3. row — a line
  4. charge — in control
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — the amount
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — in music
  17. row — to paddle
  18. file — a document
  19. key — for a lock
  20. file — a tool
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — a price
  23. file — a line of people
  24. sharp — exactly

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