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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: bulb · wave · scale · mate · fork · last · nail · wake

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. last — final
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — finally
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. scale — in music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — to breed
  24. last — to go on

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