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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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