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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · saw · file · kid · rock · squash · face · fan

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — a stone
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. face — to point toward
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. file — a line of people
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — child
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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