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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · file · track · rash · court · row · hide · firm

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — to paddle
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. track — a song
  10. kick — in football
  11. court — for sport
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. court — of a king
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. court — of law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — a line

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