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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
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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: spell · date · mark · nail · file · sharp · wound · charge

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — a short time
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — magic
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — in control
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. spell — letters
  22. file — a document
  23. date — the fruit
  24. charge — electricity

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