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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: wave · stick · bound · rash · lie · file · firm · present

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. firm — decided
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a tool
  11. firm — a company
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. present — there
  16. rash — a series
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. present — the time now
  21. file — a document
  22. present — a gift
  23. bound — certain
  24. file — a line of people

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