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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mug — a face
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mug — to rob

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