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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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. present — a gift
  4. rest — a break
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. present — there
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — to grow
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — the time now
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. root — the cause

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