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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · scale · rule · drill · band · tube · file · saw

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. rule — a law
  6. band — a ring
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — size or range
  10. file — a tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. scale — in music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rule — government
  20. file — a document
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a music group
  24. scale — for weighing

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