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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. firm — decided
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — to grow
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. firm — a company
  14. march — music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pound — a weight
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — to sink
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pound — to hit hard

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