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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — a container
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. root — the cause
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — to protest
  16. tube — the underground
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cabinet — ministers

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