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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spring — the season
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spring — of water
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wake — a trail

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