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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — hasty
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — to handle
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — to push
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — a sick person

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