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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: rush · band · bear · perch · ball · wave · nail · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a ring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — a kind of play

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