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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: file · racket · lie · sharp · field · lash · bore · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. file — a document
  3. field — farmland
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — hurry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — for sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. field — a subject

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