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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: suit · arm · file · fine · net · band · fall · snap

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. band — a ring
  5. file — a line of people
  6. suit — in cards
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a music group
  10. snap — to click
  11. net — in sport
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — after costs
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fall — the season
  20. fine — all right
  21. fall — to drop
  22. file — a document
  23. net — for catching
  24. file — a tool

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