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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a signal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. band — a music group
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bass — low music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. root — of a word
  20. file — a document
  21. root — the cause
  22. bass — the fish
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — a company

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