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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. club — for golf
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. club — a group
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cue — a hint
  19. degree — temperature
  20. club — for dancing
  21. file — a document
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. dip — a sauce

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