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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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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: last · roll · band · bass · rush · bound · file · deal

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. file — a line of people
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. bound — certain
  6. deal — to handle
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bass — the fish
  10. last — finally
  11. file — a tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. roll — a list
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. file — a document
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bass — low music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a rubber band

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