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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. snap — to click
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rule — a law
  13. tube — a container
  14. wake — a trail
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — government
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. toast — bread
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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