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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rash — hasty
  10. band — a music group
  11. drill — army training
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a ring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rash — a series
  24. drill — a practice

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