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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: firm · wave · bowl · march · nail · wind · lean · bat

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — a company
  14. lean — thin
  15. firm — steady
  16. march — the month
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. firm — decided

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