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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
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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 · mine · lash · squash · firm · staff · wax · hand

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hand — help
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. file — a tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hand — in cards
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a line of people
  20. firm — steady
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. firm — a company

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