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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — a thing
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — part of the head
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to point toward
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. face — to confront
  19. degree — temperature
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. object — an aim
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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