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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. band — a ring
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. firm — decided
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. firm — steady
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. 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