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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: fall · wind · wake · saw · wave · last · season · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — to go on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. last — final
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. last — finally
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — in sport

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