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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kick — in football
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. drill — army training

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