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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. firm — a company
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. firm — decided
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — a committee
  12. file — a tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. firm — steady
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — a trail
  24. board — to get on

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