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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — army training
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. club — a group
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a ring
  15. file — a tool
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — for golf
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wave — with your hand

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