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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.

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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: file · lie · charge · wound · prune · game · deal · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wound — an injury
  6. firm — a company
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a tool
  10. game — a match
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — steady
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a line of people
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — a price
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — to recline
  24. game — wild animals

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