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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bound — obliged
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. net — for catching
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bound — certain
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — hasty
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. file — a document
  24. net — after costs

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