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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. net — in sport
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — music
  21. object — a thing
  22. pop — music
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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