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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: mine · toast · cap · wave · shower · bay · bass · mark

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. toast — bread
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bass — low music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bass — the fish
  17. shower — to wash
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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