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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · row · lie · spring · wave · roll · track · arm

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. capital — money
  6. track — to keep track
  7. capital — a city
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spring — of water
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. roll — a list
  15. row — a line
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — a song
  19. spring — the season
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. track — a path

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