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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 120 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: file · fine · lash · safe · stick · kid · prune · bat

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. file — a document
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — high quality
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bat — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — a strongbox

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