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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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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 · lean · object · wave · saw · ground · mate · field

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. field — for sport
  5. file — a tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. object — an aim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. file — a document
  11. field — a subject
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ground — a position
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ground — crushed
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. file — a line of people
  21. object — a thing
  22. ground — the earth
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — the tool

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