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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 · safe · file · mine · object · pit · clip · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. file — a document
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. object — a thing
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. object — an aim
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mark — a trace
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. object — to protest
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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