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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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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a tool
  4. land — ground
  5. scale — in music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pit — in a race
  15. land — a country
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — to fit
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. file — a document
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. can — to be able to

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