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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: cabinet · dip · craft · race · cap · prune · content · wake

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cap — a hat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — to sink
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. content — happy
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. craft — a skill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. content — the amount
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — before a funeral

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