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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: charge · last · lash · band · row · plane · scale · file

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — a line
  4. scale — in music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — to go on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. row — to paddle
  21. last — finally
  22. band — a ring
  23. last — final
  24. charge — in control

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