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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: lean · date · mate · last · wave · pit · wake · fine

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. last — to go on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. last — finally
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — final
  20. fine — high quality
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lean — to rest against

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