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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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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 · file · spring · ball · rule · rash

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rash — hasty
  4. file — a tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — of water
  9. rule — government
  10. spring — a coil
  11. file — a document
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spring — the season
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. charge — in control
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a dance
  18. charge — electricity

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