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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — a container
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. face — to confront
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bank — for money

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