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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 120 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.

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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: rash · mark · bay · charge · fork · file · trunk · staff

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — in a road
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — in control
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. charge — a price
  20. rash — hasty
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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