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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
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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: jam · lean · wind · band · wake · ball · suit · file

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lean — thin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ball — a dance
  8. band — a ring
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a great time
  13. file — a document
  14. suit — in cards
  15. file — a tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. band — a music group
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. suit — to fit

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