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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — all right
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — thin
  20. current — of water
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — happening now

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