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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · snap · mug · last · wave · cap · game · bark

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. mug — a face
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — to go on
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to click
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a hat

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