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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · wave · temple · can · saw · file

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. file — a line of people
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a document
  13. mine — for digging
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. 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