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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.

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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 · stock · bound · rush · file · nail · rash · game

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rash — hasty
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rash — a series
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stock — goods
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — wild animals
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — the season
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — to drop

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