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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bat — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. drill — army training
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rock — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wave — of the sea

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