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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
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: lie · snap · pop · bowl · file · charge · saw · rash

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. snap — to click
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — electricity
  6. file — a tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. file — a document
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — soda
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. rash — hasty

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