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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: firm · bat · ball · fork · file · cabinet · last · wave

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fork — in a road
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — a company
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — steady
  12. last — final
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. file — a tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. last — to go on

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