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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
468
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: stand · kid · wake · roll · wave · sharp · file · hand

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. file — a document
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. file — a tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hand — help
  20. roll — a list
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hand — in cards

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