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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.

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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: can · tube · club · file · charge · cabinet · temple · row

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — in control
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. file — a tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a document
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — the underground
  22. file — a line of people
  23. club — for golf
  24. row — to paddle

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