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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. staff — employees
  3. wax — to grow
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a hat
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. staff — a stick
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — letters
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. content — happy
  17. spell — magic
  18. content — the amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — of ice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to dunk

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