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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 124 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. scale — size or range
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — in music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spell — letters
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. file — a tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — magic
  20. file — a document
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — a short time
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. nail — for a hammer

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