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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 116 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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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: nail · wave · bat · rock · safe · band · pit · march

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a music group
  8. bat — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — music
  13. march — music
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a ring
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — to move gently
  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