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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.

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
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: stick · scale · row · file · hand · face · snap · rush

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. snap — to click
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. scale — size or range
  12. face — part of the head
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. face — to point toward
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a document
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rush — a thrill

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