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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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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: drill · wave · rock · tube · cell · pound · key · craft

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rock — music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. key — in music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cell — in a prison

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