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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: bowl · band · bulb · wake · arm · file · dip · rush

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. file — a line of people
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. band — a ring
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a music group
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a document
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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