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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. file — a tool
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. file — a line of people
  24. deal — a big deal

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