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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. band — a music group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fine — high quality
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. suit — to fit
  15. band — a ring
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — in music
  18. file — a document
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fine — all right
  23. key — for a lock
  24. file — a line of people

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