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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.

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: charge · saw · file · kid · rock · squash

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. file — a line of people
  7. squash — the sport
  8. kid — to tease
  9. file — a tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rock — music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a document
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — a stone
  18. squash — to crush

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