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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. shower — to wash
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. present — the time now
  6. wax — to grow
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. present — a gift
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — there
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fall — the season
  21. shower — rain
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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