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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: wound · file · charge · craft · mouse · net · lash · press

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. press — newspapers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. file — a document
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. file — a line of people

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