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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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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: lash · bowl · stick · lean · file · straw · wind · clip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wind — moving air
  7. clip — a video
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lean — thin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. clip — for paper
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. clip — to cut
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lean — to bend
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wind — to turn a key

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