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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: race · clip · firm · band · vault · hide · file · wave

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. firm — a company
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. band — a music group
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — for paper
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. clip — a video
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — steady
  18. clip — to cut
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. file — a document
  22. band — a ring
  23. firm — decided
  24. hide — animal skin

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