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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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Word bank
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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: wave · lash · cold · file · ground · staff · safe · pitch

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. file — a tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. file — a document
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — a position
  9. cold — an illness
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitch — completely
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. staff — a stick

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