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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: row · charge · land · lash · deal · cell · file · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. deal — to handle
  3. file — a document
  4. cell — in biology
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. land — to come down
  10. cell — a phone
  11. file — a tool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. row — a line
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. land — ground

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