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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: chest · ground · rash · spell · staff · file · dip · nail

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — hasty
  8. file — a tool
  9. ground — a position
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a document
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — the earth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — letters
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. dip — to sink

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