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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — a line
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — for catching
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. coach — a trainer

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