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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 120 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: pop · shower · chip · wave · fork · spell · can · march

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. march — the month
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pop — soda
  9. spell — letters
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. shower — rain
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pop — to visit
  24. shower — to wash

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