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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: file · lash · nail · hand · rash · chip · trunk · wake

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hand — help
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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