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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: band · wave · wake · pit · lean · firm · row · foot

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lean — thin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. firm — decided
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. firm — steady
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — a company
  17. pit — in a race
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. band — a ring

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