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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wake — a trail
  19. file — a tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — in control
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. file — a line of people

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