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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: file · calf · rest · plane · lash · rule · lean · chair

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rest — a break
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rule — government
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. file — a document
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — thin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rule — a law
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. file — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lean — to rest against

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