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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — a position
  5. spell — letters
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ground — the earth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wax — to grow
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to bend
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spell — magic
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. racket — a loud noise

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