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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: cold · file · lash · key · firm · mouse · nail · board

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cold — not warm
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — to get on
  14. file — a document
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cold — an illness
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — an eyelash

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