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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · perch · march · face · wake · nail · squash · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — the month
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. march — music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. squash — the sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. net — after costs
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — to confront
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. face — to point toward

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