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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — to sink
  16. snap — to click
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — a container
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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