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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · ground · spell · present · lash · club · file · saw

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a tool
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. present — there
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. file — a document
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — magic
  21. ground — a position
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. file — a line of people
  24. leaves — to go away

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