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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: mark · craft · wake · bear · chest · cap · can · wave

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. wake — a trail
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — boats
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — a box
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — a grade
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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