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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cue — a signal
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. file — a document
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — the season
  9. roll — a cake
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cue — for pool
  18. roll — a list
  19. file — a tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — clothes

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