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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: bowl · dip · lean · chair · rule · wave · kick · cap

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cap — of ice
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rule — a law
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lean — thin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kick — in football
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — government

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