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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: stick · wound · fork · wave · mark · file · toast · bass

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wound — an injury
  18. file — a tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wound — an injury

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