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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · file · mine · lie · firm · wave · rock · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. firm — decided
  14. file — a document
  15. club — for golf
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. file — a tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. club — a group
  22. file — a line of people
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — an untruth

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