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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: rash · tear · key · stand · rush · object · file · hand

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rash — a series
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — for a lock
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — an aim
  14. key — in music
  15. file — a tool
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — on the skin

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