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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. key — in music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — the most important part
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — part of the head

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