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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: band · patient · mouse · drill · rest · wave · roll · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rest — a break
  3. roll — a list
  4. drill — army training
  5. ball — a dance
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — the tool
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. band — a ring
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. drill — a practice

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