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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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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: wave · wound · stand · spell · nail · row · jam · net

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. spell — a short time
  3. net — after costs
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. row — a line
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. net — in sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. net — for catching
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stand — to bear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — on a finger

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