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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. club — for golf
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bass — the fish
  9. content — the amount
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. club — a group
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — low music
  24. saw — the tool

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