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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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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: roll · wave · wound · mug · tube · ball · pass · pitcher

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — a face
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mug — a cup
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mug — to rob
  24. tube — a container

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