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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. suit — clothes
  4. file — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ball — a great time
  14. file — a document
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. dip — to sink

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