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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: hand · last · rash · mouse · file · charge · safe · pop

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. last — finally
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — in control
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. file — a document
  20. pop — music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pop — to visit
  24. last — to go on

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