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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: current · temple · file · fall · mate · charge · prune · game

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — in control
  4. current — happening now
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. charge — a price
  11. mate — a partner
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. file — a document
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fall — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fall — to drop
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — wild animals
  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