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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — to eat
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — a hat
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. net — after costs
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cap — a lid

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