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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: fall · rush · spell · content · chip · rash · file · face

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fall — the season
  6. content — the amount
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rash — a series
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to confront
  15. spell — magic
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spell — letters
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — to eat
  21. file — a tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — hurry

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