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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: band · spring · cell · wave · roll · racket · firm · mouse

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — of water
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cell — in biology
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. band — a ring
  13. spring — the season
  14. roll — a list
  15. firm — a company
  16. band — a music group
  17. spring — a coil
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. firm — steady
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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