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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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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 · stem · rock · court · wave · clip · key · bay

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rock — music
  4. key — in music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. court — of law
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. court — for sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — a practice
  22. court — of a king
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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