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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wax — to grow
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. root — the cause
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — to sink
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cap — a hat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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