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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: wave · cap · fan · content · scale · mark · dip · rush

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. content — the amount
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — in music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cap — a lid
  24. dip — to sink

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