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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: straw · bay · wave · pop · nail · scale · fall · drill

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. scale — size or range
  10. drill — the tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pop — soda
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. scale — in music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. drill — army training
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — to visit
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. drill — a practice
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fall — the season

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