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

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — thin
  14. stock — goods
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stock — shares
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. lean — to rest against

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