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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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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: face · file · squash · jam · suit · wave · club · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. face — part of the head
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. squash — the sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. file — a tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. face — to point toward
  16. file — a line of people
  17. face — to confront
  18. club — for golf
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — in a road
  24. suit — in cards

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