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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: file · bass · lie · pitcher · snap · wave · fine · bound

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — certain
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a document
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fine — all right
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. file — a tool
  17. snap — to click
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — low music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bass — the fish

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