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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: pop · spell · bank · mark · file · cap · straw · wave

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. cap — of ice
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. file — a tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pop — soda
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — letters
  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