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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. charge — a price
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. charge — in control
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fall — the season
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rock — to move gently

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