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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pop — music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. charge — a price
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pop — to visit
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pop — soda
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. charge — electricity
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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