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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: field · bark · can · lash · lean · press · cell · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — to push
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. field — farmland
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — a phone
  13. field — a subject
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. field — for sport
  20. cell — in biology
  21. file — a tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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