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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. capital — a city
  7. content — the amount
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wake — a trail
  13. capital — money
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. content — happy
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. prune — to trim

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