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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. march — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wax — to grow
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. band — a music group
  24. game — a match

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