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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: spell · file · foot · lash · charge · lie · hand · toast

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spell — letters
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a document
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hand — in cards
  22. toast — bread
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — an eyelash

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