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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: sharp · wave · stick · last · safe · root · file · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. file — a line of people
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — the cause
  12. file — a tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. last — finally
  15. root — of a plant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — clever
  19. last — to go on
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. file — a document
  22. last — final
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. safe — out of danger

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