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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stock — goods
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cap — a lid
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — of water
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stock — shares
  13. cap — of ice
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. band — a ring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. band — a music group
  24. snap — to click

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