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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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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. roll — a list
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rest — a break
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fork — in a road

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