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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: charge · sharp · temple · game · arm · dip · file · bore

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a document
  5. game — a match
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. file — a line of people
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to sink
  20. game — wild animals
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a tool

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