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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. net — in sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spell — letters
  7. firm — a company
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spell — magic
  17. can — a tin
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. net — for catching
  21. fork — in a road
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wax — to grow
  24. dip — to sink

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