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

Word bank: wave · cell · band · craft · cap · drill

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. band — a music group
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cell — a phone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. craft — a skill
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a ring

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