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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: file · bay · wave · lie · lash · stand · charge · land

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — a country
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a document
  6. land — to come down
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. file — a tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. land — ground
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — to bear
  21. charge — in control
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lash — an eyelash

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