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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bowl · club · cell · last · wave

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. last — finally
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. club — a group
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cell — in biology
  9. last — final
  10. club — for golf
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. last — to go on
  14. cell — a phone
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rash — a series

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