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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 · rock · cabinet · wind · charge · last · pit · bulb

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. charge — a price
  3. file — a tool
  4. last — final
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rock — a stone
  7. last — to go on
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rock — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — in control
  15. wind — moving air
  16. last — finally
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wind — moving air
  24. file — a document

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