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

Word bank: rest · wave · board · mouse · tear · file

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. board — to get on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. tear — to rip
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. board — a committee
  18. tear — from crying

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