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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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 document
  2. spring — a coil
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. land — to come down
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bass — low music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spring — of water
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — a country
  17. spring — the season
  18. lean — thin
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lean — to bend
  23. land — ground
  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