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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 116 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: last · root · charge · content · file · net · wind · mug

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mug — to rob
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a document
  6. last — finally
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mug — a face
  9. net — in sport
  10. root — of a word
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wind — moving air
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. last — final
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — the cause
  19. content — happy
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — in control
  24. content — the amount

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