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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. firm — decided
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. firm — a company
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — steady
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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