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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: wave · wake · calf · toast · last · cap · object · fan

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — bread
  6. object — to protest
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. cap — of ice
  14. object — a thing
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wake — before a funeral

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