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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 120 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: cap · wave · row · suit · ground · last · kick · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. suit — in cards
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. last — final
  14. kick — in football
  15. last — to go on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cap — of ice
  19. last — finally
  20. ground — a position
  21. row — a line
  22. suit — clothes
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. suit — to fit

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