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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. prune — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wax — to grow
  7. dip — to sink
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — rain
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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