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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: dip · jam · foot · file · wake · rash · sharp · pitcher

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rash — a series
  13. file — a tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. file — a document
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. dip — to sink
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rash — on the skin

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