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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: charge · wound · fall · file · jam · rush · cold · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fall — the season
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cold — not warm
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — to drop
  12. file — a tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — electricity
  15. object — an aim
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — to protest
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. file — a document
  24. cold — an illness

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