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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · file · drill · lean · field · fine · fork · rash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. drill — army training
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. fine — all right
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. file — a line of people
  9. field — farmland
  10. drill — a practice
  11. file — a tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. file — a document
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. row — to paddle
  24. drill — the tool

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