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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: wave · squash · cap · drill · swing · cabinet · wake · firm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. drill — the tool
  6. squash — the sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. swing — in golf
  11. firm — a company
  12. cap — of ice
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — music
  18. firm — decided
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. firm — steady
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. drill — army training
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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