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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — in control
  5. file — a document
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. charge — electricity
  8. firm — a company
  9. bass — the fish
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a line of people
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — decided
  15. charge — a price
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — letters
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. firm — steady
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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