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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 120 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: spell · lie · file · bear · racket · charge · fall · sharp

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — a short time
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — a price
  12. file — a tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — the season
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — magic
  19. file — a document
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — the animal

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