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

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pop — soda
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. march — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — to sink
  15. net — after costs
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching

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