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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.

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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: chip · tear · wake · fine · rest · squash · wave · can

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tear — from crying
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fine — all right
  22. can — a tin
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tear — to rip

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