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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — a trace
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — of the year
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bound — tied together
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. dip — to sink
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wax — to grow
  24. row — a line

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