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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. last — finally
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — final
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — to grow
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mate — a friend
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. season — in sport
  16. mate — a partner
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mate — to breed
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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