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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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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: last · lash · deal · wake · shower · wave · court · race

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. race — humankind
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — rain
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. deal — to handle
  13. race — a contest
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. court — of a king
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lash — to lash out

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