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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wake — a trail
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — a group
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. club — for golf
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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