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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: wave · tear · bay · stand · firm · file · bat · wind

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. file — a tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. firm — a company
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. firm — steady
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. firm — decided
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wind — moving air
  24. file — a document

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