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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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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rush — hurry
  4. band — a ring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fine — high quality
  16. band — a music group
  17. fine — all right
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. season — in sport
  24. dip — to dunk

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