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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.

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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: wind · mark · charge · arm · trunk · lean · file · bear

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. file — a document
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wind — moving air
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. file — a tool
  24. charge — a price

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