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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. band — a ring
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fall — the season
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. band — a music group
  20. cap — a hat
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — a safe

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