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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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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: cell · wave · foot · wind · row · suit · snap · bowl

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cell — a phone
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — a line
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to click
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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