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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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. object — to protest
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. object — an aim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — to drop
  13. object — a thing
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. file — a tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fall — the season
  24. squash — the sport

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