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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — a series
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. game — a match
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — all right

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