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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cue — for pool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bound — certain
  17. cue — a hint
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — to keep secret

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