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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: stick · fall · row · wind · net · ground · snap · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — crushed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. net — for catching
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — a position
  8. file — a line of people
  9. net — in sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. ground — the earth
  21. net — after costs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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