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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 · march · bear · rock · wake · cap · squash · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. last — final
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bear — the animal

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