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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: wave · snap · rash · saw · leaves · file · ruler · pitch

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. file — a document
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. file — a tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. file — a line of people
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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