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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — to grow
  4. game — a match
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mark — a grade
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. row — a line
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wind — moving air

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