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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: bound · mark · cell · tube · lash · staff · wake · wave

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — certain
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bound — obliged
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mark — a grade
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wake — before a funeral

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