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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 116 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.

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: rush · band · perch · dip · file · saw · racket · rock

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — a stone
  4. band — a music group
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. dip — to sink
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — hurry
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — 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