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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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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: snap · foot · rush · file · rest · lash · craft · face

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. file — a document
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rest — a break
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — part of the head
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rest — what's left
  14. foot — a measure
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rush — to hurry

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