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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.

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: hand · fall · mouse · file · bass · bowl · rash · kick

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fall — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bass — low music
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bowl — a dish

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