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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: object · file · suit · sharp · lean · stem · wound · lash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — clever
  8. suit — in cards
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a document
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. object — an aim
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. file — a tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wound — an injury

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