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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: cap · bowl · nail · row · season · wave · club · fall

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. club — for dancing
  3. season — of the year
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a line
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — of ice
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cap — a lid
  17. club — for golf
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fall — the season
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. club — a group
  24. bowl — to roll

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