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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. firm — a company
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. file — a line of people
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. firm — decided
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. firm — steady

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