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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: dip · spring · wave · wind · file · saw · wake · drill

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spring — of water
  9. drill — a practice
  10. file — a line of people
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. drill — army training
  17. wake — a trail
  18. file — a document
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spring — the season
  24. wake — before a funeral

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