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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · kick · cold · cabinet · ruler · capital · swing · toast

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — to play on
  18. capital — a city
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — money
  22. swing — music
  23. toast — bread
  24. ruler — a monarch

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