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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — the arms race
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. track — a song
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hand — in cards
  15. charge — a price
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. race — a contest
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hand — help
  23. race — humankind
  24. coach — a trainer

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