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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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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: cap · wave · drill · lean · pop · dip · game · bear

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — a practice
  4. game — wild animals
  5. drill — army training
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. game — a match

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