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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — electricity
  12. current — happening now
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — of water
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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