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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.

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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: stick · rush · season · suit · file · drill · net · chest

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a document
  3. net — for catching
  4. season — of the year
  5. file — a tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. suit — in cards
  17. file — a line of people
  18. net — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — clothes
  22. drill — army training
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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