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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — thin
  12. band — a ring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. degree — an amount
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. degree — temperature
  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