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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: lie · file · lash · shower · present · rash · cabinet · sharp

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — there
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — a gift
  9. sharp — clever
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a line of people
  17. present — the time now
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — rain
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a document
  24. sharp — exactly

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