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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: dip · plane · drill · spell · fall · wave · bay · wake

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — letters
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — a tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — army training
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fall — to drop

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