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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. nail — for a hammer

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