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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. row — to paddle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. row — a line
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fork — in a road
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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