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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — of water
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — the season
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — thin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — the animal

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