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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 120 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: swing · bound · file · face · staff · band · row · foot

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. file — a line of people
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. bound — obliged
  8. swing — to play on
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. face — to confront
  11. band — a ring
  12. staff — a stick
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — tied together
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — to point toward
  19. swing — music
  20. row — a line
  21. file — a tool
  22. foot — a measure
  23. band — a music group
  24. row — a quarrel

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