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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: wave · perch · squash · mate · clip · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. 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. squash — to crush
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mate — a partner
  7. clip — to cut
  8. squash — the sport
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — a video
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mate — a friend
  17. perch — the fish
  18. 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