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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: file · fine · bowl · ball · spell · rush · lean · rash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lean — thin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. file — a document
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. file — a tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — magic
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fine — all right
  20. rash — a series
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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