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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.

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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: wave · wind · present · file · coach · bound · tube · wake

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. present — a gift
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tube — the underground
  5. present — the time now
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. present — there
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tube — a container
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tube — in a tire
  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