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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 · tube · rash · present · roll · kick · pop · sharp

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. roll — a list
  4. file — a document
  5. rash — a series
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — soda
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. present — there
  14. roll — a cake
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. kick — a thrill

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