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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 116 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: rash · ball · race · racket · leaves · spring · file · saw

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a tool
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spring — the season
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — of water
  16. race — the arms race
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a document
  24. rash — hasty

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