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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. drill — a practice
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. drill — the tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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