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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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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: file · mark · saw · rule · squash · band · snap · kid

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mark — a grade
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. squash — to crush
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kid — child
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. snap — to click
  14. rule — government
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kid — to tease
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mark — a trace
  24. file — a line of people

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