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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: wind · suit · rock · date · bowl · stand · wake · cap

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. date — the fruit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — a stone

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