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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · file · spell · game · key · track · toast · rash

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — the most important part
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. game — a match
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. key — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spell — letters
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spell — magic
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — a song
  18. toast — bread
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — a series
  21. spell — a short time
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — a kind of play

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