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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — hasty
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pop — to visit
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — music

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