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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · pop · wave · track · wake · nail · present · straw

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pop — soda
  4. kick — in football
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. track — a song
  12. present — the time now
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — there
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — a gift
  24. kick — with a leg

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