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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
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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 · wake · fine · chair · content · can · wave · game

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fine — high quality
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. content — happy
  20. game — a match
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — to be able to
  24. content — the amount

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