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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: wave · cell · firm · cap · pitch · tear · wind · rush

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — a hat
  13. firm — steady
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rush — hurry
  21. firm — decided
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cap — a lid

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