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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · rush · wave · rash · root · cap · wound · hand

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — hurry
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. root — the cause
  20. rash — hasty
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wound — an injury

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