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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. file — a document
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — a position
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. drill — army training
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a line of people
  24. root — of a plant

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