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

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — a break
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. file — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a document
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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