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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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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: jam · pop · rest · shower · rule · wind · wave · cap

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pop — music
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. shower — rain
  5. cap — a hat
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — soda
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cap — a lid
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rest — a break
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rule — a law
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wave — of the sea

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