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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
468
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: fan · object · tear · rock · file · lash · lean · key

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. key — for a lock
  4. file — a tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. object — a thing
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rock — a stone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lean — to bend

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