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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: net · stick · chip · wave · wake · last

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. last — to go on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — after costs
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — to eat
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. net — in sport

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