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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. dip — to sink
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fork — in a road
  24. arm — part of the body

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