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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 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pound — a weight
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. object — an aim
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. degree — temperature
  18. date — the fruit
  19. object — to protest
  20. stand — to bear
  21. snap — to click
  22. object — a thing
  23. dip — to dunk
  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