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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.

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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 · tear · ruler · arm · land · file · suit · cabinet

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — to come down
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. tear — to rip
  8. file — a tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. land — ground
  17. tear — from crying
  18. land — a country
  19. tear — from crying
  20. file — a document
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. arm — part of the 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