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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.

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: band · cabinet · last · season · game · wave · wake · cell

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. last — final
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — to go on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cell — a phone
  16. band — a music group
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. band — a ring
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. last — finally
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. season — of the year

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