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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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. kid — to tease
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. swing — to play on
  11. file — a document
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. last — finally
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a tool
  16. swing — music
  17. content — happy
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a ring
  20. last — to go on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — final
  24. content — the amount

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