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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 · file · mark · kick · squash · deal · staff · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a trace
  4. kick — in football
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mark — a grade
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — to handle
  16. file — a tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. staff — employees
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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