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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 120 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: object · track · hand · rest · tube · rush · file · bowl

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. tube — a container
  13. file — a document
  14. rest — a break
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — help
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — to protest
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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