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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
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: file · wake · charge · band · spell · deal · bark · bay

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. band — a music group
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. charge — electricity
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. band — a ring

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