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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: file · rash · band · bulb · firm · stock · wake · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — a trail
  18. firm — steady
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. object — an aim
  21. file — a document
  22. band — a music group
  23. object — to protest
  24. bulb — for light

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