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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: rest · lash · file · swing · dip · bulb · stick · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — a break
  10. dip — to sink
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. swing — in golf
  19. file — a line of people
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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