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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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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: lean · straw · wave · track · cap · pop · row · fine

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — a path
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. row — to paddle
  14. track — a song
  15. cap — of ice
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — high quality
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fine — all right

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