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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. file — a line of people
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a document
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. file — a tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bass — low music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. club — for golf
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. date — on the calendar

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