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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: file · fall · swing · season · bat · lash · rush · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. mark — a grade
  9. file — a line of people
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. file — a document
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. season — in sport
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. file — a tool
  24. bat — the animal

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