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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: mark · file · key · mate · spell · squash · rash · lean

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. file — a tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. spell — magic
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — a friend
  14. key — in music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lean — thin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rash — a series
  24. lean — to bend

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