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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. land — a country
  3. mark — a grade
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — a trace
  13. track — a path
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — to keep track
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — a song
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — in music
  24. land — to come down

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