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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.

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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — the underground
  9. object — a thing
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — a container
  21. chip — to eat
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a document
  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