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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: arm · wave · straw · file · spell · cabinet · lie · chest

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spell — magic
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — a box
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chest — of your body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a document
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — a short time

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