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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chip — to eat
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stem — to come from
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. wax — to grow
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. staff — employees
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chip — in a computer

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