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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 120 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 · march · lean · ball · stand · wound · row · can

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. row — a line
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a great time
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. row — a quarrel

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