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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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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 · suit · game · mate · hide · can · saw · file

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. file — a line of people
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a document
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. file — a tool
  24. saw — the 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