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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — the season
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fall — to drop
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. mark — a grade
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fall — to drop

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