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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — to bend
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lean — thin
  22. file — a tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wound — an injury

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