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

Word bank: wake · club · chair · snap · wave · deal

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. snap — to click
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wake — before a funeral

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