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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: tube · mark · wave · rock · rush · land · staff · file

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. file — a line of people
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. land — a country
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rock — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. file — a document
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — hurry
  17. tube — the underground
  18. land — ground
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mark — a grade

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