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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: rash · kick · toast · fine · rush · file · staff · court

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. court — for sport
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of law
  7. file — a tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. toast — bread
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fine — all right
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a document
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kick — with a leg

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