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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bear — the animal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. season — of the year
  8. firm — steady
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. firm — decided
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. season — in sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. firm — a company
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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