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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spring — of water
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. file — a tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. file — a document
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kick — in football
  12. rash — hasty
  13. suit — clothes
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. suit — in cards
  23. spring — the season
  24. kick — with a leg

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