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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: nail · firm · press · wake · wave · wind

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — steady
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — a trail

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