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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: mug · file · tear · suit · face · lash · stem · pass

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. file — a document
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stem — a stem cell

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