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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: wound · fork · file · pop · saw · charge · bass · lie

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. charge — electricity
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — music
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — in control
  11. file — a tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lie — to recline
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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