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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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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. file — a tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — in control
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. drill — army training

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