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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.

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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: bay · file · arm · lash · charge · key · wind · cold

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — a price
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a document
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cold — an illness
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. charge — electricity

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