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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 120 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: file · lie · rest · rush · straw · stick · pitcher · land

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. land — a country
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rush — hurry

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