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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 120 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: mate · wound · object · leaves · scale · rash · file · rush

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rash — a series
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — to protest
  14. mate — a partner
  15. scale — in music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. object — an aim
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. file — a document
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — a thrill

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