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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. season — of the year
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. capital — a city
  14. season — in sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. present — there
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — to add flavour

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