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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · cap · bowl · wake · rush · can · snap · dip

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cap — a lid
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to click
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cap — a hat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bowl — a dish

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