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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: straw · hide · firm · mark · rock · charge · file · row

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. firm — steady
  5. row — to paddle
  6. file — a tool
  7. row — a line
  8. firm — decided
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. charge — a price
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — music
  16. charge — in control
  17. file — a document
  18. rock — a stone
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a line of people
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — a straw man

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