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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · staff · wake · bowl · saw · bear · wave · net

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wake — a trail
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. net — after costs
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — a dish

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