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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fine — high quality
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fine — all right
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — a lid

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