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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: pit · spell · rest · wake · wave · staff · rock · dip

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. staff — employees
  3. spell — letters
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spell — magic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. staff — a stick
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — a hole

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