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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: cell · stick · file · rock · fan · squash · stand · rush

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. file — a document
  3. cell — a phone
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stand — to bear
  24. squash — the vegetable

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