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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: fine · firm · land · wave · snap · key · file · ground

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. land — to come down
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a document
  6. firm — a company
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — steady
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. key — for a lock
  13. snap — to click
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. file — a line of people
  17. key — in music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. land — a country
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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