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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: wake · jam · toast · staff · march · hide · wave · last

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. toast — bread
  6. last — to go on
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. staff — employees
  10. last — finally
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — a stick
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — final
  17. wake — a trail
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. jam — a tight spot

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