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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rule — government
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — of the sea

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