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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: present · row · charge · spell · wind · cabinet · file · pitcher

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spell — a short time
  5. charge — in control
  6. row — a line
  7. file — a document
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spell — magic
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. present — there
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. charge — a price
  24. row — to paddle

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