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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. capital — money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kick — in football
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cell — a phone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. capital — a city
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mouse — the animal

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