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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. dip — a sauce
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a line of people
  7. field — a subject
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — boats
  10. kid — to tease
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kid — child
  15. file — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — for sport
  18. rule — government
  19. craft — a skill
  20. file — a document
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. field — farmland
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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