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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. file — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cue — for pool

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