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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
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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 · charge · rush · rash · ground · hand · can · net

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. can — a tin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. net — in sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. file — a document
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — in cards
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. net — after costs
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hand — help
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — hurry

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