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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. content — the amount
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — high quality
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. root — of a plant
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kid — to tease
  13. firm — a company
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. root — of a word
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. firm — steady
  19. kid — child
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — all right
  22. dip — to sink
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — the cause

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