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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ground — a position
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — to get on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ground — crushed
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. board — a committee

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