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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
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: file · sharp · deal · mouse · wave · arm · rash · charge

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. deal — to handle
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. charge — in control
  16. rash — a series
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. file — a tool

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