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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — a series
  5. file — a document
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rash — hasty
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hide — animal skin

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