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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. charge — in control
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — a price
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cold — not warm

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