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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. file — a document
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. charge — a price
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mate — a partner
  14. chair — a leader
  15. file — a tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — electricity
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mate — to breed
  24. nail — for a hammer

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