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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: wake · charge · craft · roll · mate · spell · snap · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mate — a friend
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wake — a trail
  6. spell — magic
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. craft — a skill
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to click
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — a partner
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — letters
  24. craft — boats

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