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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 · mark · face · march · rock · pitcher · wave · tube

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — a stone
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to point toward

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