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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. dip — to sink
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rush — hurry

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