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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · ball · face · bowl · calf · rash · wind

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. file — a tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. file — a line of people
  6. face — to confront
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rash — hasty
  18. file — a document
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a dance

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