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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · mug · march · fine · dip · wave

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mug — a cup
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mug — a face
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — to sink

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