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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. band — a music group
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. drill — a practice
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. drill — the tool

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