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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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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 · face · fine · pound · tube · charge · stick · bay

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fine — high quality
  14. face — to confront
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fine — all right
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. file — a line of people
  21. charge — a price
  22. pound — a weight
  23. charge — in control
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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