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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: file · rush · mark · field · fan · lean · swing · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rush — hurry
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — a subject
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lean — thin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. field — farmland
  24. fan — to cool the air

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