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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 116 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
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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: cap · wound · racket · wake · last · drill · wave · rash

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rash — a series
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. last — final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — a hat
  17. drill — a practice
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — army training
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. last — finally
  24. wound — an injury

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