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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 124 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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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: cap · bark · chest · swing · key · lash · bay · file

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — a lid
  3. file — a document
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — to play on
  12. file — a tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chest — a box
  17. swing — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. swing — in golf

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