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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a music group
  6. content — the amount
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — a company
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. file — a document
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — a committee
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. content — happy
  18. firm — decided
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — steady

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