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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: content · lash · field · hide · firm · bay · rush · file

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. firm — steady
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. firm — decided
  9. field — farmland
  10. file — a tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. file — a line of people
  16. firm — a company
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a document
  21. content — the amount
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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