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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: wave · rest · race · wake · press · spell · plane · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. press — to push
  5. club — a group
  6. press — a publisher
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — what's left
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. race — humankind
  12. rest — a break
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spell — letters
  24. race — a contest

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