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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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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 · race · wind · rule · bay · ball · file · firm

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ball — a dance
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — decided
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. firm — steady
  12. race — humankind
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. file — a document
  17. rule — government
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — a law
  20. race — the arms race
  21. firm — a company
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a tool
  24. wind — moving air

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