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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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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: charge · spell · rule · file · game · foot · fan · cabinet

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rule — government
  3. game — wild animals
  4. file — a document
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a match
  21. rule — a law
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — a price

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