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

Word bank: deal · object · wound · wave · dip · pass · shower · capital

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — a thing
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. dip — to sink
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. shower — rain
  22. object — an aim
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pass — to succeed

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