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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.

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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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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: ruler · wave · file · pitch · charge · fall · mark · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mark — a grade
  5. charge — a price
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. charge — in control
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fall — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. file — a tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — 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