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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — a lid
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. season — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — of the year
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tube — a container
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tube — the underground

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