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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — a company
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. land — a country
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. firm — steady
  15. land — ground
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — a division
  22. land — to come down
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — the underground

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