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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. can — a tin
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. court — of a king
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — of law
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. court — for sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cold — an illness
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — to recline
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — not warm
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wax — to grow

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