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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. band — a ring
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fine — all right
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — a sauce

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