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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: suit · rash · bowl · file · pop · last · kick · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rash — hasty
  4. last — finally
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — final
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pop — soda
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. last — to go on
  12. file — a tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. kick — in football
  21. pop — music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. file — a document
  24. suit — in cards

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