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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: date · foot · roll · cue · stick · wave · file · craft

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. file — a document
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. roll — a list
  4. file — a line of people
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — a cake
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cue — a signal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — for pool
  17. file — a tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  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