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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: wave · court · bank · firm · tube · drill · hide · wake

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. court — of law
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bank — of a river
  20. firm — decided
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — a practice

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