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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · root · file · charge · wake · rash · craft · game

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a match
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — in control
  14. lie — to recline
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. file — a document
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wake — a trail

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