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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. file — a document
  17. hand — help
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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