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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. sharp — clever
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cap — a hat

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