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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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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: lash · wave · kid · nail · mate · wound · file · jam

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kid — to tease
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. file — a tool
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mate — a partner
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kid — child

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