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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: cap · bay · last · spell · race · racket · wave · roll

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cap — a hat
  3. last — final
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — to go on
  6. spell — a short time
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. race — humankind
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. race — a contest
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — finally
  24. racket — for tennis

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