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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chair — a leader
  8. capital — money
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. capital — a city
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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