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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 116 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
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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: hand · file · mouse · root · rest · lash · spell · bear

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a line of people
  19. root — the cause
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. hand — part of the body

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