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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: scale · jam · kid · wake · board · last · wave · stick

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. last — finally
  5. board — to get on
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — to tease
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. scale — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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