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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. snap — to click
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spell — magic
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spell — letters
  7. bound — tied together
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bound — certain
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bound — obliged
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. toast — bread
  24. wax — for sculpting

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