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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 · saw · coach · lean · degree · club · bowl · rush

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. file — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. file — a document
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. degree — an amount
  24. file — a line of people

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