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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spell — letters
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — magic
  14. branch — a division
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — in a computer

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