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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: race · plane · foot · pop · present · wake · rock · wave

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. present — there
  5. pop — music
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pop — soda
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wake — a trail
  14. race — a contest
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rock — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pop — to visit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. present — a gift

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