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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: wave · hide · row · cap · wind · stand

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stand — to bear
  13. row — to paddle
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. row — a line
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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