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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: row · wave · lash · racket · jam · rock · wake · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — to paddle
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stand — to bear
  12. row — a line
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wake — a trail
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rock — music
  24. stand — on your feet

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