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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cap — a hat
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cap — of ice
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chair — a leader
  19. suit — in cards
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — a lid
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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