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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: sharp · bay · lash · file · capital · charge · leaves · drill

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — clever
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. charge — a price
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — in control
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. charge — electricity
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. capital — money
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the 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