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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — help
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rock — a stone
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. last — to go on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — final
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — in cards
  23. last — finally
  24. deal — to handle

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