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

Word bank: board · row · temple · wave · capital · rock · calf · snap

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. board — a committee
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. capital — a city
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. row — a line
  23. rock — music
  24. board — to get on

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