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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: rush · firm · roll · can · mine · bound · bat · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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 line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — a company
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — certain
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rush — hurry
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — to hurry
  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