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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bound — obliged
  15. file — a tool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bound — tied together
  18. root — of a word
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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