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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: object · rush · wave · tube · craft · rash · mate · file

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. craft — a skill
  13. object — an aim
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mate — to breed
  16. file — a document
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. file — a tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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