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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: cabinet · pound · wave · rash · wake · lash · last · mate

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — final
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. last — to go on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — hasty
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — a series

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