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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spring — of water
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — of a king
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — in music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. court — of law
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — in a tire

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