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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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