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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a document
  4. band — a ring
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — to go on
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a music group
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — finally
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — of water
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. squash — the sport
  21. last — final
  22. spring — a coil
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spring — the season

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