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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. field — for sport
  6. pass — a permit
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — electricity
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. charge — in control
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — a subject
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wax — for sculpting

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