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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. net — in sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — for catching
  13. spell — magic
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bound — tied together
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — to shout

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