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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: rest · current · file · fall · lash · stick · toast · swing

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — happening now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rest — a break
  11. swing — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. file — a document
  15. current — of water
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — the season
  19. swing — to play on
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — electric
  24. file — a tool

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