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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cell — a phone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pop — music
  17. drill — army training
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cell — in biology
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. drill — the tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kick — in football

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