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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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Word bank
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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: dip · wave · pop · season · fan · bore · capital · present

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — there
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pop — to visit
  14. present — the time now
  15. bore — to drill
  16. season — of the year
  17. capital — money
  18. season — in sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. capital — a city
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pop — music
  24. present — a gift

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