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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. file — a document
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rash — a series
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. file — a tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. band — a rubber band

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