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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · lash · bat · land · key · rock · wave · net

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — in music
  7. land — a country
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. land — to come down
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. net — after costs
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bat — the animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. net — in sport
  23. land — ground
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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