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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · drill · ball · safe · pop · bass · lash · bat

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pop — music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — the fish
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pop — soda
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ball — a great time
  24. drill — army training

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