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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · file · chest · plane · staff · pitch · rush · lash

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. staff — employees
  7. file — a document
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chest — a box
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — a tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chest — of your body

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