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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
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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: file · rush · cap · suit · spell · chest · net · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spell — letters
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a document
  11. chest — of your body
  12. file — a tool
  13. rock — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. suit — clothes
  17. net — in sport
  18. file — a line of people
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spell — magic
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chest — a box

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