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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: straw · wind · cabinet · dip · nail · file · lash · present

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — a gift
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. file — a document
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. present — the time now
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. present — there
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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