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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. face — to confront
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. face — part of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. face — to point toward
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — a container
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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