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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — letters
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. field — farmland
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — a subject
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. field — for sport
  24. lean — thin

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