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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 · wake · last · scale · nail · track · degree · fan

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — to go on
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — a song
  6. wake — a trail
  7. degree — temperature
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — in music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. scale — size or range
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — to keep track

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