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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.

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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 · file · wind · craft · ground · stick · snap · pitch

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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