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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. fine — all right
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fine — high quality
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — to breed
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cap — a hat

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