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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. plane — a tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. plane — an aircraft

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