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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 · jam · lash · safe · capital · last · leaves · rest

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. last — final
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. last — finally
  19. capital — a city
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — money
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. capital — a big letter

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