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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.

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: fork · staff · fine · lash · nail · stand · file · mine

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — for digging
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — to lash out

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