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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wind — moving air
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tear — to rip
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. row — a line
  24. toast — bread

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