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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 116 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 · safe · stick · bound · wake · wind · track · club

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a document
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — for golf
  12. track — a song
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — tied together
  15. club — a group
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wind — moving air
  18. track — a path
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — certain
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. track — to keep track

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