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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: wake · lean · wind · rock · land · dip · cap · roll

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — thin
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cap — a hat
  9. land — ground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — a list
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — a country
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. land — to come down
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wind — moving air
  24. dip — to sink

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