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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · foot · row · nail · game · capital · dip · object

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. object — an aim
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. object — to protest
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — a thing
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. capital — a city
  20. game — a match
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. row — to paddle
  24. capital — money

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