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

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a ring
  10. object — to protest
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — the fish
  20. file — a document
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chip — for betting

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