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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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468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — a price
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — electric
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a partner
  15. current — happening now
  16. charge — in control
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. file — a tool
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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