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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: stick · jam · date · file · mine · bound · wave · roll

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — a list
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. file — a tool
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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