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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: game · cue · hide · file · wake · bore · date · lash

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a match
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. date — on the calendar

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