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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. file — a document
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. game — a match
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — a thrill

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