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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. band — a music group
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — a practice
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a ring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. drill — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — happy
  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