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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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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: deal · wake · shower · present · file · rest · rush · stick

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. deal — to handle
  5. shower — rain
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. file — a tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. file — a document
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — there
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — to wash

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