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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. charge — in control
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. land — ground
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. file — a document
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — a price
  12. file — a line of people
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. pound — a weight
  18. snap — to click
  19. land — to come down
  20. file — a tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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