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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kick — in football
  3. fall — the season
  4. fine — high quality
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. key — in music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. dip — to sink

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