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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: march · wave · key · nail · band · wake · mate · lash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. 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. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. march — the month
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mate — to breed
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. 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