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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: wind · row · pitcher · charge · file · lie · ruler · mate

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. charge — in control
  12. wind — moving air
  13. file — a tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a document
  19. mate — a partner
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — to turn a key

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