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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
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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: wind · scale · pit · file · lash · lie · season · staff

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. staff — employees
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. staff — a stick
  5. season — of the year
  6. scale — in music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. scale — size or range
  14. season — in sport
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pit — a hole
  20. staff — employees
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a document
  23. wind — moving air
  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