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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 120 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: chip · mate · wake · plane · wound · drill · wave · bay

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. drill — a practice

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