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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. dip — to sink
  8. firm — a company
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. firm — decided

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