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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — help
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hand — in cards
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. charge — electricity
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. file — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. charge — a price
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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