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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: fall · file · present · toast · nail · saw · lash · foot

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — the time now
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — a gift
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. file — a line of people
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — there
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a document
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. toast — bread
  24. fall — the season

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