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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. dip — to sink
  4. row — a line
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — to grow
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. face — to confront
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — of water
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. row — to paddle
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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