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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. dip — to sink
  3. date — the fruit
  4. kick — in football
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. shower — to wash
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — a lid
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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