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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — a break
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. band — a music group
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. row — to paddle
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a ring
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. row — a line
  24. band — a rubber band

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