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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · lash · tear · file · cabinet · hide

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. file — a document
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. swing — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cabinet — ministers

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