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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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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: object · file · mouse · lie · swing · lash · wave · lean

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lean — thin
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. object — to protest
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. file — a document
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. object — an aim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. object — a thing
  21. file — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to rest against

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