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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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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: content · wave · kick · snap · dip · toast · bowl · lie

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. toast — bread
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. snap — to click
  8. kick — in football
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — happy
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. content — the amount
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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