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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. sharp — clever
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — in cards
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. suit — to fit
  19. scale — in music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. jam — a tight spot

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