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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — hurry
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pop — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. row — a line
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — in control
  16. pop — soda
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pop — to visit
  19. file — a tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. craft — boats

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