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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: fork · ball · file · rush · deal · lean · saw · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — hurry
  4. file — a tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. file — a document
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — the tool

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