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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · row · craft · wave · march · wake · shower · cue

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. pop — music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. row — a line
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. shower — rain
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — a trail
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — a signal
  20. march — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pop — soda
  23. cue — for pool
  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