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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: present · wave · rash · stand · rush · bowl · wake · ground

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. present — there
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — the time now
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — a series
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ground — a position
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. present — a gift
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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