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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
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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: row · saw · game · cap · suit · file · mug · rush

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cap — a hat
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — hurry
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. suit — to fit
  7. row — a line
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mug — to rob
  13. file — a tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mug — a face
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a document
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cap — a lid
  24. saw — the tool

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