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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hand — in cards
  5. shower — rain
  6. face — part of the head
  7. shower — to wash
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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