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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · ball · file · pitcher · wound · key · row · wave

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. file — a document
  10. key — in music
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — for a lock

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