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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. band — a ring
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. band — a music group
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hand — help
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — to visit
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. march — music
  17. object — an aim
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — a thing
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. object — to protest
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rash — a series

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