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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: bowl · stick · lean · file · snap · lash · rule · patient

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. snap — to click
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — thin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — a law
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. file — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rule — government
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lash — an eyelash

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