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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: fine · rock · date · bay · season · wind · last · wave

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. season — of the year
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — final
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — a stone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. last — finally
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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