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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ground — crushed
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — a position
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — to keep track

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