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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.

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: object · file · arm · kick · charge · chest · last · spell

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. file — a tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. last — to go on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. last — final
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. kick — in football
  17. last — finally
  18. file — a document
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — a price
  21. spell — magic
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chest — a box
  24. file — a line of people

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