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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · cap · nail · fork · row · track · rash · wave

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — of ice
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rash — a series
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pop — soda
  13. row — a line
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — to visit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — music
  23. track — a path
  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