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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: suit · squash · wound · roll · lean · bass · toast · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. squash — the sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lean — thin
  5. file — a tool
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bass — the fish
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. file — a document
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. toast — bread
  19. squash — to crush
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wound — an injury
  24. roll — a list

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