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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: rock · press · wave · cell · ball · land · drill · date

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a great time
  6. land — to come down
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — a stone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. land — a country
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cell — a phone
  14. drill — army training
  15. date — the fruit
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rock — music
  19. land — ground
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cell — in a prison

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