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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · field · board · land · mate · rest · spell · wave

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — a break
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. land — a country
  10. mate — to breed
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a partner
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — magic
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. board — a committee
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — for sport

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