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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: bear · nail · wave · fan · snap · saw · band · wake

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to click
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a ring

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