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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — money
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mate — a friend
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. capital — a city
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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