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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fine — all right
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — humankind
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tear — to rip
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a hat
  24. leaves — of a tree

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