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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: saw · wound · suit · last · bass · wave · squash · row

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — final
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. last — to go on
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. last — finally
  16. wound — an injury
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — clothes
  22. row — a line
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bass — low music

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