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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · lash · wind · cabinet · key · field · file · lean

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lean — thin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. field — farmland
  8. file — a line of people
  9. field — a subject
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pop — soda
  14. lean — to bend
  15. key — in music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. file — a document
  22. field — for sport
  23. pop — music
  24. wind — moving air

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