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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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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. object — to protest
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. swing — in golf
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a document
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chip — for betting
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chip — to eat
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chip — in a computer

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