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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fork — in a road
  4. file — a tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. file — a document
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rock — music
  21. scale — in music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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