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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: rash · wake · bat · firm · stem · snap · nail · wave

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rash — a series
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. firm — steady
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. snap — to click
  24. wave — with your hand

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