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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — an aim
  5. toast — bread
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fall — the season
  8. wound — an injury
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stock — goods
  15. object — a thing
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — shares
  21. fall — to drop
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. object — to protest

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