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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 120 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: scale · kick · season · face · rush · fall · key · file

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — in music
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kick — in football
  13. file — a line of people
  14. scale — size or range
  15. file — a document
  16. face — part of the head
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — of the year
  24. fall — to drop

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