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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wax — to grow
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. club — a group
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. toast — bread
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for golf
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. toast — the most admired

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