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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: dip · cell · wave · lean · last · pop · row · file

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cell — in biology
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — music
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — to go on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. last — finally
  13. file — a document
  14. pop — to visit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pop — soda
  17. lean — to bend
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lean — thin
  22. row — a line
  23. last — final
  24. lean — to rest against

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