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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: rock · lean · lash · file · spring · tube · ruler · stick

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lean — thin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. file — a tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spring — of water
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — a container
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rock — a stone
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — the season
  24. tube — the underground

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