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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: tube · prune · lash · file · lean · leaves · stick · drill

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — thin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a tool
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to rest against

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