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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: fall · net · rush · file · suit · court · mate · lash

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fall — to drop
  4. net — after costs
  5. file — a document
  6. court — of a king
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mate — a partner
  9. court — for sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fall — the season
  14. mate — a friend
  15. file — a line of people
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — hurry
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — of law

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