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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: wave · wake · chest · race · rest · rash · last · track

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chest — a box
  3. rest — a break
  4. rash — a series
  5. last — finally
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — to go on
  15. track — a path
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — hasty
  23. race — a contest
  24. rash — on the skin

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