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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 116 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: bank · craft · charge · court · root · kid · file · lash

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kid — child
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — in control
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. charge — a price
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bank — of a river
  17. court — of law
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kid — to tease
  21. court — of a king
  22. root — of a word
  23. court — for sport
  24. root — the cause

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