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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — for sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. field — a subject
  17. branch — a division
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wax — to grow

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