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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: file · net · hide · charge · bowl · leaves · stick · bass

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a document
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — in sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. net — after costs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. net — for catching
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — low music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — in control
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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