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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 120 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: mate · wound · saw · rest · mouse · wave · track · nail

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — a song
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — a break
  20. track — a path
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — for a computer

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