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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · file · can · stick · date · deal · object · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — to be able to
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. file — a document
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a line of people
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. deal — to handle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — an aim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a music group

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