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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: wave · wake · suit · season · saw · calf · bass · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. season — in sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. season — of the year
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rash — a series
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bass — low music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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