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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — the amount
  4. swing — music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. land — ground
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — to be able to
  9. land — to come down
  10. wax — to grow
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. land — a country
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. key — in music
  23. content — happy
  24. key — for a lock

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