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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 120 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: saw · board · hide · file · lash · arm · wound · lie

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lie — to recline
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. board — a committee
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. saw — the tool

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