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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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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: racket · toast · wound · rest · wake · rash · wave · temple

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — hasty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — a series
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wake — a trail
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — a break
  19. toast — bread
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. temple — side of the head

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