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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: rush · roll · sharp · ball · lash · file · plane · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — a cake
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ball — a dance

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