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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 116 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
468
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 · face · lash · wake · band · rush · stick · mug

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mug — a face
  17. band — a ring
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — hurry

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