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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 · chip · drill · wave · ball · stem · tube · rest

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — a container
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wave — with your hand

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