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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — a law
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. sharp — clever
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bowl — to roll

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