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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.

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: file · bark · hide · wave · net · last · charge · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. scale — size or range
  5. file — a document
  6. last — to go on
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. file — a tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — in sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. net — after costs
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — in control
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. bark — to shout
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — for catching

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