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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bound — obliged
  7. land — to come down
  8. key — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bound — certain
  13. land — a country
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — the most important part
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. land — ground
  21. roll — a list
  22. cap — a lid
  23. dip — to sink
  24. key — for a lock

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