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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.

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: lash · spell · drill · fan · file · cue · bear · trunk

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cue — a signal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. file — a tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. file — a document
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — a practice
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. file — a line of people
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — to cool the air

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