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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. last — to go on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — electricity
  5. last — finally
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — to rob
  10. file — a tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mug — a cup
  14. last — final
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. file — a document
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mug — a face

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