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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: file · present · straw · jam · foot · deal · spell · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. present — the time now
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. file — a document
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. present — there
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. deal — to handle
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. foot — a measure
  14. file — a tool
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. present — a gift
  17. spell — letters
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spell — magic
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a line of people

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