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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — help
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. file — a tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spell — magic
  24. hand — part of the body

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