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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 116 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: wound · saw · bowl · wave · stand · rash · track · cap

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rash — a series
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — a song
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stand — to bear
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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