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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 116 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: wake · bay · wave · nail · rest · saw · fall · can

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bay — a horse colour

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