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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — to wash
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. club — a group
  10. shower — rain
  11. rock — music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. club — for golf
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a document
  21. rock — a stone
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. file — a line of people

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