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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.

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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: spell · rock · file · track · hand · cell · rush · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. track — a path
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cell — in biology
  14. spell — magic
  15. file — a tool
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — letters
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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