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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 · root · fall · wound · squash · rock · wave · chip

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — the sport
  3. file — a document
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chip — to eat
  8. root — the cause
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rock — a stone
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. file — a 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