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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: saw · staff · can · wake · march · rash · mug · last

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — a trail
  6. march — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. mug — a cup
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a face
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — finally
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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