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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. firm — steady
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — a company
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. shower — rain
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cap — of ice
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — a line

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