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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — soda
  4. march — music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pop — to visit
  11. march — the month
  12. mate — a partner
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. march — the month
  18. toast — bread
  19. current — of water
  20. pop — music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. current — happening now
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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