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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 · cold · row · wake · foot · fork · can · pitcher

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. row — a line
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — a tin
  14. cold — an illness
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. can — to be able to
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitcher — a jug

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