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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fall — the season
  5. dip — to sink
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — for a computer

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