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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. track — a path
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — a song
  24. prune — to trim

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