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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · present · suit · staff · band · wave · object · row

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — clothes
  5. staff — a stick
  6. file — a document
  7. row — a line
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. object — an aim
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. file — a tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. row — to paddle
  15. band — a ring
  16. suit — in cards
  17. present — the time now
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. file — a line of people
  21. present — a gift
  22. object — a thing
  23. suit — to fit
  24. object — to protest

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