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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · cue · ground · wave · rock · jam · row · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wound — an injury
  7. row — a line
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ground — crushed
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — for pool
  19. file — a document
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rock — music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ground — a position

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