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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. suit — to fit
  5. capital — a city
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. suit — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. capital — money
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — to grow
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. dip — to sink

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