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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. file — a tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pound — a weight
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cap — a hat
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  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