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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 · perch · file · mate · lash · bank · saw · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mate — to breed
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fine — all right
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. file — a document
  24. perch — for a bird

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