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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stock — goods
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — for sport
  23. squash — the sport
  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