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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · stand · wake · bass · file · ball · snap · mouse

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bass — low music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. file — a document
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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