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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: snap · band · can · bay · file · wave · drill · pit

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. file — a tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. drill — a practice
  21. file — a document
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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