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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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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: land · suit · wake · wave · leaves · lie · bass · mate

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. suit — clothes
  3. land — a country
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — low music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — in cards
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. land — ground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — to come down
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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