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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. march — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  24. can — to be able to

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