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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. face — part of the head
  11. kid — to tease
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kid — child
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kick — a thrill

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