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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: cell · wind · wave · row · land · cue · can · roll

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. land — a country
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a hint
  9. land — ground
  10. row — to paddle
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cue — for pool
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. roll — a list
  20. cue — a signal
  21. row — a line
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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