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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: ball · fall · pass · wave · rush · wake · mate · tube

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tube — a container
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a dance

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