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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — in football
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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