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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 · mug · wake · chip · saw · drill · suit · date

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mug — a face
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — the fruit

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