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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mug — to rob
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. court — for sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. court — of a king
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. shower — rain
  22. court — of law
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lean — to bend

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