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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pop — to visit
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — to crush
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. net — for catching
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pop — soda
  14. net — in sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. key — for a lock
  17. net — after costs
  18. pop — music
  19. spell — letters
  20. key — in music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spell — a short time
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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