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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: file · squash · stem · lash · bank · lie · capital · rest

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. file — a line of people
  3. capital — money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — of a river
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lie — an untruth

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