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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 116 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: board · object · wave · file · rule · cap · bass · cell

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. file — a document
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rule — a law
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — a thing
  15. cap — of ice
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — an aim
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — a hat

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