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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 116 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
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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: face · straw · ball · file · court · rush

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a line of people
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. face — part of the head
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rush — hurry
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. court — of law

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