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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fine — all right
  12. pop — soda
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kick — in football
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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