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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: rush · roll · wake · band · hide · chip · wave · mug

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. band — a music group
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. roll — a list
  19. mug — a face
  20. chip — to eat
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chip — for betting

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