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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. snap — to click
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — to recline

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