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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: pass · lash · rest · rule · lie · stick · cold · file

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a document
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. file — a tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rule — a law
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — a break
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cold — not warm

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