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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cap — a hat

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