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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: stand · rush · cold · wave · nail · object · mark · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. object — to protest
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cold — an illness
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cold — not warm
  15. object — an aim
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — a thing
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rush — a thrill

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