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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hand — in cards
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wax — to grow

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