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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. field — farmland
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. sharp — clever
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. roll — a cake
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. field — for sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. field — a subject
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — for measuring

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