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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: date · wave · fan · mouse · wake · ruler · rock · foot

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fan — to cool the air

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