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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 124 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. charge — a price
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stem — to come from
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. snap — to click
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitch — completely

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