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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: craft · file · hand · rash · tube · charge · mouse · prune

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. file — a document
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rash — a series
  24. charge — in control

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