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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. firm — steady
  5. file — a tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. firm — decided
  10. staff — employees
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. firm — a company
  19. file — a document
  20. hand — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a line of people
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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