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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. root — the cause
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pitch — completely
  8. squash — to crush
  9. drill — army training
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — a practice
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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