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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: ruler · race · date · hide · file · rock · lash · last

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. last — final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rock — a stone
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — finally
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. race — a contest
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — to move gently

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