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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. roll — a list
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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