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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: hand · file · tube · kick · lash · spell · ruler · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. file — a tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. firm — a company
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. tube — the underground
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — in football
  14. firm — steady
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — in cards
  24. file — a document

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