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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · wave · pop · can · straw · band · vault · jam

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pop — soda
  8. file — a line of people
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pop — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. can — a tin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — to be able to
  18. file — a document
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. file — a tool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. band — a ring
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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