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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: staff · file · rash · ball · spring · arm · rock · bound

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — of water
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. staff — employees
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — a series
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rock — music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ball — a great time
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. staff — employees
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — the season
  19. file — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. file — a document

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