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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. land — a country
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — bread
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a trace
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — to be able to

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