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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: rest · file · scale · saw · kick · squash · suit · band

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — clothes
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. band — a music group
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kick — in football
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — the vegetable

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