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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: wake · wind · bowl · pop · firm · nail · arm · fine

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. firm — a company
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. firm — steady
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fine — high quality
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — all right
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. firm — decided

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