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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · rule · mine · charge · mug · face

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mine — for digging
  3. face — to point toward
  4. file — a document
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — to rob
  8. charge — a price
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mug — a face
  12. face — part of the head
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — to confront
  16. charge — in control
  17. mug — a cup
  18. file — a tool

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