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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: wave · cap · rash · pitch · bear · fall · drill · lash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — army training
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cap — a lid
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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