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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. capital — money
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rule — a law
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. file — a tool
  15. capital — a city
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rule — government
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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