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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cold — an illness
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. staff — employees
  18. file — a document
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — in football
  24. bowl — a football final

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