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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.

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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: drill · file · cabinet · firm · can · wave · last · mine

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — steady
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — final
  8. drill — a practice
  9. file — a document
  10. firm — a company
  11. drill — the tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. file — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. can — a tin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. last — finally
  18. can — to be able to
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a line of people
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. can — a tin

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